Parking fine for charging an electric car

Redx · 17 April 2018 at 5:19PM

is that a car park sign or an EV charging bay sign ? or are they all the same sign ?

Half_way · 17 April 2018 at 5:19PM

Dear hotel, thank you for your reply, however at the time my vehicle was not parked, but making use of the charging station/re fuelling.
I am sure that you perfectly understand that you are jointly liable for the actions of your agents, Parking eye, and will take immediate action to cancel this parking charge issued to a vehicle that was not parked, I refer you to the case listed here, 3JD08399 ParkingEye v Ms X. Altrincham 17/03/2014 http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/waiting-for-space-is-not-parking.html

Redx · 17 April 2018 at 5:24PM

previous thread on a similar case where PE issued an MCOL for a vehicle charging up in an EV bay

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5479925

and CM researched it in this post

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=70852829&postcount=23

the sign posted earlier has no terms and conditions listed for what an EV vehicle driver must do when charging a vehicle in an EV bay (unless the signs at those bays are different ?)

Guys_Dad · 17 April 2018 at 5:26PM

You may have guessed that I am an EV driver too, so your post was of personal interest to me. I am not sure that the reception or even duty manager knows of the particular arrangements of the contract that Novotel have with Chargemaster and if any subsidies were involved when the Ultracharger was installed.

I took the liberty of ringing Chargemaster to ask in general and also specifically with regard to this charger what the arrangements are and how are motorists to know if they are liable for the parking charge.

The support person didn't know in this case, but promised to pass this on to the right team to find out and if there was a concession to EV drivers, to inform the hotel to get it sorted.

I would ring Chargemaster tomorrow and ask if there has been any determination of the position and whether a concession should be in place according to the contract Chargemaster/Polar had with the hotel when the Ultracharger was installed.

Coupon-mad · 17 April 2018 at 5:29PM

There is no mention of charges for people who aren't hotel guests.

I agree. And you were not in a parking bay.

Was the PCN received by day 15? Does it have the POFA 29 days para on the back?

Well done Guys Dad for proactive help. :T

The_Deep · 17 April 2018 at 5:37PM

In my opinion, the sign is ambiguous. It makes no mention of people not staying at the hotel hsving to pay for parking. ergo, Contra Preferentum should apply.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_proferentem

This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors.

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, and another company have already been named and shamed, as has Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each year). They lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P. for unprofessional conduct

Hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned.

The problem has become so rampant that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers. Watch the video of the Second Reading in the HofC recently.

http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/2f0384f2-eba5-4fff-ab07-cf24b6a22918?in=12:49:41

and complain in the most robust terms to your MP. With a fair wind they will be out of business by Christmas.

satchef1 · 17 April 2018 at 5:41PM

Redx wrote: »

is that a car park sign or an EV charging bay sign ? or are they all the same sign ?

According to the hotel, that is the sign that is displayed in the car park. Presumably (as their email suggests) it is also the sign that is displayed next to the EV charging bay. I haven't gone back to check myself as it's a ~2 hour round trip.

Redx wrote: »

previous thread on a similar case where PE issued an MCOL for a vehicle charging up in an EV bay

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5479925

and CM researched it in this post

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=70852829&postcount=23

the sign posted earlier has no terms and conditions listed for what an EV vehicle driver must do when charging a vehicle in an EV bay (unless the signs at those bays are different ?)

Thank you. I'll have a read.

Guys_Dad wrote: »

You may have guessed that I am an EV driver too, so your post was of personal interest to me. I am not sure that the reception or even duty manager knows of the particular arrangements of the contract that Novotel have with Chargemaster and if any subsidies were involved when the Ultracharger was installed.

I took the liberty of ringing Chargemaster to ask in general and also specifically with regard to this charger what the arrangements are and how are motorists to know if they are liable for the parking charge.

The support person didn't know in this case, but promised to pass this on to the right team to find out and if there was a concession to EV drivers, to inform the hotel to get it sorted.

I would ring Chargemaster tomorrow and ask if there has been any determination of the position and whether a concession should be in place according to the contract Chargemaster/Polar had with the hotel when the Ultracharger was installed.

I've just had an email from a CS agent saying she's just spoken to my friend. I guess that bit of her email makes sense now.

Coupon-mad wrote: »

I agree. And you were not in a parking bay.

Was the PCN received by day 15? Does it have the POFA 29 days para on the back?

Well done Guys Dad for proactive help. :T

Yeah, huge thank you. You've managed to give me some clarity on where I stand with this one. :T

My initial thoughts on posting were "is it even worth fighting?". I now know that the answer to that question is "Yes".

Guys_Dad · 17 April 2018 at 5:42PM

I wouldn't complicate things by either saying the vehicle wasn't parked (it was if it was stopped and unless it was doing a Maypole dance with the charger cable, it was stopped) or saying it wasn't in a parking bay (which would contravene the t&c)

We EV drivers are just as protective of our charging places/bays as disabled drivers are of theirs and I have recently learned a new vocabulary relating to EVs. (One of my favourite is when a petrol/diesel car is parked in an EV bay, it is referred to as being ICEd) So definitely having designated EV bays is a good thing!!

And are you, c-m, nicking my favourite appeal point too???? :rotfl::rotfl:

Half_way · 17 April 2018 at 6:00PM

Still chugging away in a good ole' petrol vehilce.
However a vehicle stopped in an EV bay charging is not parked, but re-fuelling, once re-fueling has been completed it would be expected for a driver to move the vehicle and either continue on his/her journey, or to move it to a parking space/area.
I could go to the local large Supermarket, fill up with fuel and then leave my vehicle in the petrol station at the pump while i walk across the ( usually vast) car park and enter the main part of the store, this would be unreasonable ( unless its a small filling station/shop combined)
Likewise if an EV is sitting in a public EV bay long after charging has completed.

Coupon-mad · 17 April 2018 at 6:00PM

And are you, c-m, nicking my favourite appeal point too?

Am I? Which one?!

Parking fine for charging an electric car

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